Recording A Cello

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Audio production is a complex procedure that involves a number of processes which include recording and mixing. It is very important that the right techniques are employed in these stages. A lesser well known final stage is online mastering. The cello is a string instrument and is normally played in a seated position it is quite a large instrument and yet not as large as an upright bass. It has a rich and mellow tone and can be played solo or as part of an ensemble. The instrument is played using a bow. Recording a cello is very enjoyable. The room where a cello is recorded will add to the overall character of the sound.

This might use a close or distant microphone technique, the more close the microphone the more defined the sound will be and the more distant the more the room will be heard on the recording. It must be determined as to how much the room will want to be heard on the recording and the microphone should be positioned in such a way that the correct room to instrument balance is achieved which will satisfy the recording engineer, the musician and the producer. It would be sensible to use a mid sized or large sized diaphragm condenser microphone for the job of recording a cello. It would also be possible to use a flat response small diaphragm microphone but a test recording should be made to ensure it has the lower mid and low frequency capability to record the full bodied sound of the instrument.

It would be a good plan to watch the cellist play their instrument and ensure that any mic position will not interfere with the movements of the player.It is suggested that one would position the microphone towards the F hole in the instrument as a starting point and move the microphone around in order to find the best sounding spot. Typically the mic would be placed from 15cms to 80cms away from the instrument depending on the balance of instrument to room required. The harmonics produced by a cello are complex and radiate from the instrument at different angles so once again microphone position is key in obtaining a good sounding recording. The cello is quite a dynamic instrument so it would be a good idea to take recording level with the player playing at maximum anticipated volume to set a record level. A condenser mic will be used for it's low noise, sensitivity and full frequency response. A detailed recording should result. It would be best to record the instrument at 24 bit resolution and leave plenty of headroom to avoid distortion on musical peaks. Using 24 bit ensures that the resolution of audio from recording to mixing to online mastering is optimized throughout the production stages.

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